The Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the U.S., is an incredibly complex ecosystem that includes important habitats and is a cherished part of our American heritage.  More than 64,000 square-miles of land drains into creeks, streams, rivers and, eventually, the Chesapeake Bay.  Almost 200 miles long, the Chesapeake Bay is a wonderful resource, still beautiful and still teeming with life that we both harvest and appreciate.  But unquestionably the Bay is in need and worthy of our attention and concern and I believe everyone has a role to play in restoring it. 

Just a few weeks ago, the Congress passed the 2008 Farm Bill which includes critical funding for conservation of the Chesapeake Bay and directs the Secretary of Agriculture to develop a comprehensive plan for restoring, preserving, and protecting the Chesapeake Bay watershed.  Additionally, the farm bill includes programs to help farmers comply with increasing and costly environmental regulations that benefit the Chesapeake Bay.

Building upon this success, the House of Representatives recently passed, with my support, the bipartisan Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network Continuing Authorization Act.  The Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network, which was created in 1998, is a partnership system comprised of over 150 gateways, including museums, historic sites, parks and wildlife refuges and 1,500 miles of water trails. The Gateway Network hosts more than 10 million visitors annually. 

The Gateway Network was created with the goal of awarding grants to projects that conserve, restore, and interpret natural, recreational, historical, and cultural resources in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.  Additionally, the Gateway Network awards grants to projects that link Chesapeake Bay gateway sites with trails, watertrails, and scenic roads.  So far these grants have funded more than 200 projects, including exhibits, new interpretive or orientation brochures, educational programs, water and land trails, and related access improvements.  These grants are primarily awarded to parks, nonprofit organizations, wildlife refuges, museums, and historic sites.

The Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network Continuing Authorization Act ensures that this important program continues and the Gateway Network and its partners can continue to educate residents of the Chesapeake Bay watershed about the natural, cultural, historic and recreational sites throughout the Bay region and how their communities relate directly to the health of this national treasure.

The Chesapeake Bay watershed includes all types of land uses, from intensely urban areas, spread out suburban development and diverse agricultural practices.

As a member of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Task Force, I remain committed to making restoration of the Chesapeake Bay a priority of federal conservation programs.  The 2008 Farm Bill and the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network Continuing Authorization Act will go a long way toward protecting the Chesapeake Bay for future generations to use and enjoy.